AIIMS doctors launch silent protest over hostel shortage

New Delhi: Around 1500 resident doctors of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) have launched an indefinite 'silent protest' over acute hostel accommodation crunch which is forcing several doctors and medical students to stay outside the campus.

As a part of the silent protest, the resident doctors wore a yellow badge on which it was written, "I am homeless ever since I joined AIIMS."

At present those who enrol for the post-graduation course at AIIMS have to wait for around two and half years to get hostel accommodation when the course duration itself is of three years.

"We have written to the hospital administration regarding this several times in the past. In 2011, hospital authorities started constructing three hostels which are not yet complete," said Dr Shashank Pooniya, General Secretary of AIIMS Resident Doctors Association.

The doctors had filed an RTI to know when the hostels will be ready. In reply, it was said that hostels will be ready by August 2013. When they enquired further this year, the hospital authorities assured that they will be ready by July 2014.

"2014 is over now and still the hostels are not ready. Doctors here have to often work for long hours and thus it is a problem for those who stay outside the campus. The AIIMS administration had promised that things would improve and the waiting period for a room would be considerably shorter after the luxury hostel is completed," said a resident at the hostel. Also those women doctors who stay outside the campus have to face several problems.